The mayor of Asheville, North Carolina, says the city has revised its $225 million disaster relief proposal after the Trump administration rejected the original plan, which prioritized race and sex for aid.
Democratic Mayor Esther Manheimer made the announcement on Wednesday, WLOS <a href="https://wlos.com/news/local/asheville-revises-disaster-plan-hud-rejects-dei-elements-secretary-scott-turner-community-development-block-grant-mayor-esther-manheimer-recovery-fox-business" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, one day after Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner released <a href="https://www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/hud_no_25_040" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a statement</a> saying the city could not receive the money unless it removed the DEI requirement from its proposal.
&#8220;We have modified the action plan to reflect his concerns, and we&#8217;ve been told the changes that we&#8217;ve made were acceptable,&#8221; Manheimer said when announcing the revision.
Turner released his <a href="https://www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/hud_no_25_040">statement</a> on Tuesday before touring the damage from Hurricane Helene in Fletcher, North Carolina.
“HUD looks forward to helping thousands of North Carolinians rebuild after Hurricane Helene by directing funding assistance to impacted businesses, non-profit organizations and neighborhoods,” Turner said. &#8220;However, Asheville’s draft action plan incorporated DEI criteria to prioritize some impacted residents over others, which was unacceptable. After HUD informed Asheville that its plan was unsatisfactory and it would not be approved, the city assured us that it was updating its draft action plan to be compliant.”
The reversal from Asheville comes after the city initially doubled down on its proposal to prioritize disaster relief based on sex and race, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-controlled-north-carolina-town-doubles-down-on-prioritizing-race-sex-for-hurricane-relief" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The city said in its 2024 Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WroBUu5znmlLY6kLLApJ3A8C9yZstZX2/view" target="_blank" rel="noopener">action plan</a>, released this month, that the plan’s Small Business Support Program would “prioritize assistance for Minority and Women Owned Businesses (MWBE) within the scoring criteria outlined within the policies and procedures.”
Before that, in November, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, which is controlled by Democrats, released its small business relief grant program, and the residents asked the Trump administration to intervene in January.
The proposal was met with a complaint from the Western North Carolina Citizens for Equality, which argued against the county’s “focus” on hurricane relief for “BIPOC” and “women” owned businesses damaged in the hurricane, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/north-carolina-residents-ask-trump-to-intervene-after-officials-prioritize-hurricane-relief-by-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> at the time.
“In this situation, there is no doubt that Buncombe County intended to discriminate against white business owners in its Helene Relief Project. The County directed that the funds be used in a manner that prioritizes one group of business owners over another based solely on skin color,” the complaint says.
In March, the city released the aforementioned proposal, which still contained the sex- and race-based aid priorities.
Manheimer “reassured” constituents that the $225 million for disaster relief was not at risk.
&#8220;They&#8217;re very eager and continue to be eager, this administration, to help support the recovery of [Western North Carolina], including Asheville, and we&#8217;re very appreciative of that.&#8221;

Hurricane Helene Damage

Asheville Revises Disaster Relief Proposal That Prioritized DEI After HUD Secretary Rejects It

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Hurricane Helene

North Carolina

Politics

Social Issues

Conservative credit card company <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/by-conservatives-for-conservatives-new-credit-card-offers-alternative-to-americans-fed-up-with-woke-businesses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Coign</a> donated nearly $40,000 dollars to a Christian non-profit that has served over 350,000 meals to storm victims and first responders in North Carolina following Hurricane Helene. 
Coign recently presented <a href="https://mercychefs.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mercy Chefs</a> a check for $39,535 at its Nashville community kitchen as part of the organization’s quarterly donations to conservative charities. Coign CEO Rob Collins told The Daily Wire that Mercy Chefs was chosen because of the work they have done in North Carolina. 
“We’re proud to partner with them, they’re doing great work,” he said, adding that the charity was continuing to provide meals to areas of Western North Carolina still reeling from the devastating flooding. 
Founded in 2006, Mercy Chefs provides meals to victims of natural disasters and the first responders and others volunteering in areas slammed by tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes, or fires.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Coign Charity Check Presentation: Mercy Chefs" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_Sc-A_VC1CA?start=4&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Coign, which operates a VISA-backed credit card, donates portions of its transaction fees to conservative organizations chosen each quarter by cardholders. The company has donated to a variety of causes in the past, including groups looking to reduce suicide among soldiers and the Alliance Defending Freedom. 
Jim Kirk, the executive director of development at Mercy Chefs, told The Daily Wire that the donations from Coign were helping its work across the country from California to North Carolina to Kentucky. 
“It&#8217;s been a busy year, and Coign’s customers have been an incredible blessing to people who have lost everything, only to receive hope and love in a hot, chef-prepared meal,” he said. “You&#8217;ve also fed first responders, teachers, volunteers, parents, and children.. people of all walks who needed a nutritious meal.”
“May you experience JOY in your giving, and for making such an amazing impact!” he added. 
Coign’s charitable contributions have dramatically increased since it was first founded back in 2022. Collins said that the total money given in the first quarter was around $5,000, while the most recent quarter was around $190,000.
He said there was a large demand for the card because of the misalignment between conservative customers and major corporations and that Coign was an effective product for &#8220;cultural change.&#8221; 
“It really does provide conservatives a strong alternative to get off the treadmills supporting corporate liberals who hate our way of life, hate our culture, hate our values, but still be able to buy stuff you need,&#8221; he said. 
Last year, Coign <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/credit-card-company-donates-to-crisis-pregnancy-center-targeted-by-vandals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">donated</a> over $15,000 to the Capitol Hill Pregnancy Center, a pro-life crisis pregnancy center in the heart of radically pro-abortion Washington, D.C.

Storm Helene Causes Massive Flooding Across Swath Of Western North Carolina

Conservative Credit Card Company Backs North Carolina Hurricane Relief Efforts

Charity

credit card

Nashville

A town in North Carolina is doubling down on its earlier commitment to provide hurricane relief to local business owners based on race and sex.
Asheville, a town in western North Carolina that was devastated by Hurricane Helene, said in its 2024 Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WroBUu5znmlLY6kLLApJ3A8C9yZstZX2/view" target="_blank" rel="noopener">action plan</a>, released this month, that the plan’s Small Business Support Program would “prioritize assistance for Minority and Women Owned Businesses (MWBE) within the scoring criteria outlined within the polices and procedures.”
In January, the Western North Carolina Citizens for Equality filed a <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/OCRUSTreasury.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">complaint</a> with the Treasury Department after Buncombe County, which includes Asheville, would “focus” on hurricane relief for “BIPOC” and “women” owned businesses damaged in the hurricane, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/north-carolina-residents-ask-trump-to-intervene-after-officials-prioritize-hurricane-relief-by-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> at the time.
“In this situation, there is no doubt that Buncombe County intended to discriminate against white business owners in its Helene Relief Project. The County directed that the funds be used in manner that prioritizes one group of business owners over another based solely on skin color,” the complaint says.
The County Board of Commissioners, which is controlled by Democrats, released its small business relief grant program in November, and the residents asked the Trump administration to intervene in January.
Now, in March, Asheville appears to be doubling down on the racist and sexist prioritization of hurricane relief. In addition to prioritizing small business grants based on race and sex, the city plans to implement other programs based on income. The city said that at least 70% of program funds would meet the low- to moderate-income (LMI) <a href="https://www.hudexchange.info/sites/onecpd/assets/File/Basically-CDBG-State-Chapter-3-Nat-Obj.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">objective</a> set forth by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. A fund was created to build multi-family housing units that would require 80% of the units to be occupied by households at 80% or below the area median income, which was <a href="https://wlos.com/news/local/median-household-income-growth-asheville-metropolitan-area-report-buncombe-henderson-madison-economic-development" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$90,300 in 2023</a>. The cost of living in Asheville, however, is higher than the national average.
The city’s infrastructure projects “prioritize projects that primarily serve LMI populations or support affordable housing development.”
As The Daily Wire previously reported, Buncombe County in mid-November partnered with Mountain Bizworks, a non-profit, to administer $1.5 million in aid to small businesses owned by people of color and women.
“Further, Mountain Bizworks used the repurposed federal [American Rescue Plan Act of 2021] funds and furthered the County’s objective: culling applicants and awarding grant money based, in part, on the skin color of applicants. These actions are clearly illegal,” the complaint filed in January says.
Before the complaint was filed, county statistics showed that small business grants disproportionately went to women and minority-owned businesses.
“Of the 137 awards given out, 28.5% were given to ‘minority owned businesses,’ and 60.6[%] were given to ‘women-owned businesses.’ The county is nearly 90% white, according to census data, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/north-carolina-residents-ask-trump-to-intervene-after-officials-prioritize-hurricane-relief-by-race">reported</a>.

Asheville

Democrat-Controlled North Carolina Town Doubles Down On Prioritizing Race, Sex For Hurricane Relief

U.S.

A North Carolina citizen group is asking the Trump administration to intervene after local leaders prioritized Hurricane Helene small business relief grants on the basis of race and sex. 
Western North Carolina Citizens for Equality filed a <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/OCRUSTreasury.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">complaint</a> with the Treasury Department last month after Buncombe County announced that it would “focus” on supporting small businesses damaged by Helene that were “BIPOC” and “women” owned. Buncombe County, home to liberal Asheville, funded the program by using repurposed federal COVID relief funds. 
“In this situation, there is no doubt that Buncombe County intended to discriminate against white business owners in its Helene Relief Project. The County directed that the funds be used in manner that prioritizes one group of business owners over another based solely on skin color,” WNC for Equality President Carl Mumpower wrote in a civil rights complaint filed with the Treasury Department. 
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, all Democrats, <a href="https://www.buncombecounty.org/common/Commissioners/20241119/PH%203_PRESO_Helene%20Relief%20Small%20Business%20-%2011_19_24%201.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rolled out</a> its small business relief grant program in November, announcing it would prioritize helping businesses not owned by white men. The program would make business owners eligible for tens of thousands of dollars in repurposed American Rescue Plan funds.
The county said that the “focus” area of the small business support program would be “BIPOC-owned businesses,” “women-owned businesses,” and “sole proprietorships.” 
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-876733" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-13-at-12.17.51-PM.png" alt="" width="2719" height="1388" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-13-at-12.17.51-PM.png 2719w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-13-at-12.17.51-PM-300x153.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-13-at-12.17.51-PM-1024x523.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-13-at-12.17.51-PM-768x392.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-13-at-12.17.51-PM-1536x784.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-13-at-12.17.51-PM-2048x1045.png 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2719px) 100vw, 2719px" />
From November 13-17, the county partnered with non-profit Mountain Bizworks to administer $1.5 million in funds appropriated for the program. The non-profit, which <a href="https://www.mountainbizworks.org/about-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> that it focuses on working with  “people of color, women, and immigrant entrepreneurs” and <a href="https://www.mountainbizworks.org/about-us/equity-statement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">works</a> to promote “racial equity,” was also targeted in the complaint from WNC for Equality. 
“Further, Mountain Bizworks used the repurposed federal ARPA funds and furthered the County’s objective: culling applicants and awarding grant money based, in part, on the skin color of applicants. These actions are clearly illegal,” the complaint says. 
To evaluate businesses for relief, Mountain Bizworks <a href="https://archive.ph/uEpdn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">developed</a> “scoring” criteria that included “underserved entrepreneurs,” which were defined as “women-owned businesses,” “businesses owned by people of color,” “veteran-owned businesses,” and lower-income individuals. 
The non-profit added that it would “prioritize independent small business owners who lack access to traditional funding resources” and that the application would be “equity focused.” A screenshot included in the complaint showed that both race and sex were required fields for the application through Mountain Bizworks. 
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-876739" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-13-at-12.20.33-PM.png" alt="" width="1712" height="963" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-13-at-12.20.33-PM.png 1712w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-13-at-12.20.33-PM-300x169.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-13-at-12.20.33-PM-1024x576.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-13-at-12.20.33-PM-768x432.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-13-at-12.20.33-PM-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1712px) 100vw, 1712px" /></div>
Statistics shared by the county showed that grants were disproportionately awarded to women and minorities. Of the 137 awards given out, 28.5% were given to “minority owned businesses,” and 60.6 were given to “women-owned businesses.” The county is nearly 90% white, <a href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/buncombecountynorthcarolina/RHI125223" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Census Data. 
The county did not respond to questions about how many applications were sent in and the demographics of the applicants 
Mumpower believes that the process not only violates federal law, but also Buncombe County’s own <a href="https://www.buncombecounty.org/i-want-to/contact/file-discrimination-complaint.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">anti-discrimination law</a>. That ordinance describes discrimination as treating people differently for a number of different factors, including race and sex. 
He told The Daily Wire that he was &#8220;optimistic&#8221; that the complaint, filed on January 22, will get a fair hearing under the Trump administration.
“We want our local government to follow the law and not use color as a consideration for application for public dollars. And that’s all we want,” Mumpower told The Daily Wire. 
Because Buncombe County and Asheville are completely controlled by Democrats, Mumpower said they were “ruthless in their willingness to ignore the law” and believed they could get away with anything. He also said that his group has mainly seen a negative response from the broader Asheville community, an area that backed Kamala Harris by over 60%. 
“It’s very disappointing that a society has worked so hard to get color off the table as to how we measure one another that we would have so many misguided local leaders who are willing to ignore the progress we’ve made and even try to set us back,” he said. “It’s very ironic.”
President Donald Trump has been critical of the federal and local response to Hurricane Helene, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-rips-into-fema-says-it-is-getting-in-the-way-of-everything" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> that North Carolinians “were treated very badly by Democrats.” Most of his criticism has been aimed at FEMA, which he has floated getting rid of completely in favor of more state responsibility over natural disasters.

US-HURRICANE-HELENE

North Carolina Residents Ask Trump To Intervene After Officials Prioritize Hurricane Relief By Race

COVID

Treasury Department

Trump Administration

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> spoke out on Friday about a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fema" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FEMA</a> scandal where relief workers skipped homes because of Trump signs or flags.
Trump decried the incident, which was first reported by The Daily Wire, as he spoke to hurricane victims in North Carolina. Trump has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-promises-overhaul-of-fema-floats-getting-rid-of-agency?topStoryPosition=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposed drastic</a> changes to FEMA and suggested that he may sign an executive order to get rid of the agency altogether.
“A whistleblower testified that some FEMA employees refused to help people who display Trump signs on their property. I think that&#8217;s true, isn&#8217;t it? I read that. That&#8217;s not nice, that&#8217;s not too nice, is it? But whoever those property people were, thank you very much,” Trump said.
In November, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-fema-official-ordered-relief-workers-to-skip-houses-with-trump-signs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broke a story</a> that FEMA supervisor Marn’i Washington had ordered relief workers in Lake Placid to “avoid homes advertising Trump.” These instructions were given in person and verbally, whistleblowers told The Daily Wire. At least 20 homes were skipped due to the orders.
A day after the story broke, Washington was fired and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell maintained it was an isolated incident and FEMA workers visited the homes that were skipped.
The incident is still under investigation by multiple entities and Florida has sued FEMA and Washington, alleging a conspiracy to discriminate against Trump supporters.
Other whistleblowers have come forward alleging similar misconduct in Georgia and North Carolina.
One whistleblower <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republicans-ask-for-probe-into-allegations-fema-skipped-entire-neighborhoods-with-trump-signs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure that entire neighborhoods were skipped if they found three or more signs that said things like “Make America Great Again,” “Drain the Swamp,” “Don’t Tread on Me,” or a Trump campaign sign.
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The inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dhs-inspector-general-confirms-fema-probe-says-aid-should-not-be-politically-based" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has initiated</a> an investigation into the multiple allegations of FEMA misconduct, including in North Carolina and Florida.
Later during his visit to North Carolina, Trump said that he was likely going to revamp FEMA and give more responsibility for disaster relief to the states.
“We’re looking at the whole concept of FEMA,” he <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fema-not-good-trump-announces-agency-overhaul-during-visit-north-carolina" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “FEMA has really let us down. Let the country down.”
“We’re going to fix it, and we’re going to fix it as fast as you can,” he added. “It’s a massive amount of damage. FEMA has really let us down. Let the country down. And I don’t know if that’s Biden’s fault or whose fault it is, but we’re going to take over. We’re going to do a good job.”
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US-POLITICS-TRUMP

‘Not Nice’: Trump Speaks Out About FEMA Denying Aid To His Supporters

Donald Trump

Executive

FEMA

Hurricane Milton

Natural Disaster

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> said Friday that he might sign an executive order to &#8220;get rid&#8221; of FEMA and hand over the responsibility of responding to natural disasters to the states. 
Trump made the comments during a visit to Asheville, North Carolina, where he met with victims of Hurricane Helene and teased an executive order to completely overhaul FEMA. Western North Carolina was devastated last year when Hurricane Helene brought record flooding to the area, destroying homes and killing more than 100 people. 
&#8220;I&#8217;ll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA or maybe getting rid of FEMA. I think, frankly, FEMA is not good,” Trump said. “I think when you have a problem like this, I think you want to &#8230; use your state to fix it and not waste time.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
PRESIDENT TRUMP: &#8220;I&#8217;ll also be signing an Executive Order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA — or maybe getting rid of FEMA. I think when you have a problem like this, I think you want to&#8230; use your state to fix it and not waste time&#8230;&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/lQmPESd0Fc">pic.twitter.com/lQmPESd0Fc</a>
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1882834698956947470?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Trump said FEMA made disaster recovery more inefficient since it went into unfamiliar areas and introduced rules that slowed down the process. He said it would be better if states were in total control of recovery efforts and the federal government would fund a certain percentage of the response. 
“I think we’re going recommend that FEMA go away, and we pay directly, we pay a percentage to the state. But the state should fix this,” Trump said. 
Trump has been very critical of FEMA’s response to both Hurricanes Helene and Milton, saying that the agency slowed its response because many of those impacted were in conservative rural areas. 
“We’re looking at the whole concept of FEMA,” he <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fema-not-good-trump-announces-agency-overhaul-during-visit-north-carolina">said</a>. “FEMA has really let us down. Let the country down.”
&#8220;We&#8217;re going to fix it, and we&#8217;re going to fix it as fast as you can,&#8221; he added. &#8220;It&#8217;s a massive amount of damage. FEMA has really let us down. Let the country down. And I don&#8217;t know if that&#8217;s Biden&#8217;s fault or whose fault it is, but we&#8217;re going to take over. We&#8217;re going to do a good job.&#8221;
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He promised that the government would “do a lot” for North Carolina after he said the response under Biden was “very slow.” 
In November, The Daily Wire broke a story about how a FEMA supervisor in Florida ordered relief workers responding to Hurricane Milton to &#8220;avoid homes advertising Trump.&#8221; That prompted the employee to be fired and a wave of investigations into the agency.
One whistleblower later told Republicans on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure that FEMA had skipped <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dhs-inspector-general-confirms-fema-probe-says-aid-should-not-be-politically-based" target="_blank" rel="noopener">entire neighborhoods</a> in North Carolina if there were three or more signs showing support for Trump or other conservatives.
Trump heads to Los Angeles County later on Friday to see the destruction caused by multiple fires that have displaced more than 100,000 residents.
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Trump Promises Overhaul Of FEMA, Floats ‘Getting Rid Of’ Agency

President Donald Trump promised on Friday to deliver &#8220;rapid&#8221; solutions and reconstruction for residents in areas of North Carolina that were decimated by Hurricane Helene last fall.
Trump spoke at a press conference after meeting with people in Swannanoa, North Carolina, on Friday, promising to immediately sign an executive order &#8220;slashing all red tape and bureaucratic barriers and permits to ensure the rapid reconstruction of the roads here in western North Carolina.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;re going to go through a permitting process that&#8217;s called no permitting. Just get it done,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;That&#8217;s the way they built them many years ago. I guarantee you that.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
PRESIDENT TRUMP: &quot;I&#39;m pleased to announce that under our leadership, the federal government will be surging housing solutions to this state that go beyond mere temporary hotel stays&#8230; and today, I&#39;ll also be signing an Executive Order slashing ALL RED TAPE&#8230; to ensure the rapid… <a href="https://t.co/imNW7YvQfg">pic.twitter.com/imNW7YvQfg</a>
&mdash; Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1882851034844090843?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The president also slammed the &#8220;ridiculous&#8221; response of the previous administration to the needs of North Carolinians.
&#8220;I&#8217;m pleased to announce that under our leadership, the federal government will be surging housing solutions to this state that go beyond mere temporary hotel stays that ended up being very short-term. The government wouldn&#8217;t do it any longer, which is ridiculous,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We&#8217;ll marshal all available resources to bring back potable water and make your water and infrastructure dramatically more reliable very quickly.&#8221;
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Earlier this month, dozens of Hurricane Helene victims were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dozens-of-north-carolina-hurricane-victims-lose-fema-sponsored-housing-senators-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forced to leave</a> the hotels they were staying in when their FEMA-sponsored vouchers expired, according to North Carolina Republican Sens. Ted Budd and Thom Tillis. FEMA told the senators that they were working on a solution for the North Carolina residents who lost their homes. During Trump&#8217;s press conference, he also gave the microphone to victims to share stories of how the hurricane affected them.
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President Trump allows Hurricane Helene victims in North Carolina to tell their heartbreaking stories in front of the nation.
The forgotten men and women of this country are forgotten no more. <a href="https://t.co/ofEDlFfl3X">pic.twitter.com/ofEDlFfl3X</a>
&mdash; Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1882862866728095749?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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More than 70,000 homes were <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hurricane-helene-survivors-freezing-temperatures/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">damaged</a> in North Carolina due to the flooding and mudslides caused by Hurricane Helene, forcing thousands of people to live in hotels, trailers, or even tents during the frigid winter months. The visit to western North Carolina marks Trump&#8217;s first trip since being sworn into office on Monday. Trump will also travel to Los Angeles County later on Friday to see the homes and businesses destroyed by the massive fires that broke out earlier this month.

Trump Vows To Cut Red Tape, Surge ‘Housing Solutions’ For Hurricane-Ravaged NC

Trump Vows To Cut Red Tape, Surge 'Housing Solutions' For Hurricane-Ravaged NC

Embattled FEMA Director Deanne Criswell left the agency on Monday just as the second administration of President Donald Trump began. 
Criswell, who has faced criticism over her handling of the agency&#8217;s response to recent hurricanes, left her position as administrator at 12:01 p.m. and was replaced by Tony Robinson, who will be the acting FEMA director until Trump chooses a replacement. During her time in office, Criswell oversaw the government&#8217;s response to multiple devastating hurricanes, the Maui fires, and most recently, the deadly Los Angeles County fires. 
“It has been an honor serving as [FEMA] Administrator for nearly four years. The FEMA family takes immense pride in our mission of helping people before, during and after disasters. I know the agency will continue to serve the nation as we support this peaceful transition of power,” Criswell <a href="https://x.com/FEMA_Deanne/status/1881351768103129377" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on X, though her account has now been taken over by Robinson. 
Criswell came under fire in November after The Daily Wire reported that a FEMA supervisor in Florida ordered relief workers responding to Hurricane Milton to “avoid homes advertising Trump.” The guidance led to some 20 homes in Lake Placid being skipped because they had a Trump flag or sign. 
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Criswell spent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-what-we-learned-from-fema-chiefs-day-of-congressional-grilling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">over five hours</a> on November 19 being questioned by House lawmakers about the guidance. She maintained that the guidance was an isolated incident.
“I do not believe that this employee’s actions are indicative of any widespread cultural problems at FEMA,” she said at the time. “FEMA however has taken appropriate action to ensure this matter is fully investigated and I am committed to ensuring that nothing like this ever happens again.” 
There are still multiple investigations ongoing, including from the inspector general, into the guidance and the state of Florida has sued FEMA over the instructions 
Trump has been a critic of FEMA’s response to both Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, stating during his inaugural address that the agency had treated North Carolina poorly. 
Last week, North Carolina’s Republican senators had to intervene after they said that dozens of hurricane victims were kicked out of the hotels they were staying in on Tuesday as their <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fema">FEMA</a>-sponsored vouchers expired. One whistleblower told Republicans on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure that FEMA had skipped <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dhs-inspector-general-confirms-fema-probe-says-aid-should-not-be-politically-based" target="_blank" rel="noopener">entire neighborhoods</a> in North Carolina if there were three or more Trump or other conservative signs in yards.

House Oversight Committee Hears Testimony From FEMA Administrator Criswell

Embattled FEMA Director Steps Aside As Trump Takes Office

Biden Administration

Dozens of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hurricane-helene" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hurricane Helene</a> victims were kicked out of the hotels they were staying in on Tuesday as their <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fema" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FEMA</a>-sponsored vouchers expired, according to North Carolina’s Republican senators.
Sens. Ted Budd and Thom Tillis both posted on X Tuesday that they had heard from dozens of constituents in western North Carolina that they had nowhere to go after their temporary FEMA housing assistance expired. FEMA responded by saying that it had expanded its housing program for those who had lost their homes from Helene until the end of March 2025.
“My office is hearing from dozens in WNC who have been kicked out of their hotels tonight, despite FEMA’s announcement yesterday that they were extending Transitional Sheltering Assistance through January 25,” Budd posted. “This is unacceptable. This needs to be fixed TONIGHT.”
Tillis reported a similar situation, saying that many kicked out of the hotels had nowhere to go with below freezing temperatures in the area.
“My office has been helping dozens of Helene victims today who have been told their hotel vouchers expired despite not having a safe and livable home to go back to. Their homes have mold and broken windows &#8230; it&#8217;s 20 degrees tonight,” Tillis posted on X. “Hotels are trying to help them, and a number of nonprofits are stepping up to pay for victims to stay in their hotels so FEMA has another day to get its act together.”
“This is a total breakdown on the part of FEMA that is causing unnecessary pain for families. FEMA insists it has adequate boots on the ground in WNC while it responds to the wildfires in CA. If that were so, this would not be happening,” he added. “I will continue to push FEMA to do its job to provide safe housing while my office continues to work to make sure North Carolinians have a warm place to stay tonight.”
Budd <a href="https://x.com/SenTedBuddNC/status/1879316133096145351" target="_blank" rel="noopener">later posted</a> on Tuesday night that he had spoken with FEMA Director Deanne Criswell about the situation, saying they were working to address it.
“Last night, Senator Budd and his team got in touch with FEMA leadership and went line-by-line, person-by-person to identify issues, fix communication breakdowns, and get eligible individuals back into hotels. Senator Budd continues to encourage anyone in need of help to get in touch with his office directly at <a href="https://www.budd.senate.gov" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Budd.Senate.Gov</a>,” a spokesman for Budd told The Daily Wire. 
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FEMA told The Daily Wire that since September 2024, it had housed nearly 13,000 families displaced by devastating flooding caused by Hurricane Helene. A spokesman said that its Transitional Sheltering Assistance program was still in place, including in western North Carolina, and had been extended until the end of March 2025.
The agency said that “hotel stays” on Tuesday ended for survivors who now had a habitable home due to inspection or for people who did not have “not have eligible damages to a home or rental unit caused by Tropical Storm Helene.”
The spokesman said any survivor with questions should call 1-800-621-3362 or go to a Disaster Recovery Center.
FEMA has faced criticism over its handling of recent hurricanes, with some saying the agency slow-walked its response because many conservative-leaning areas were impacted. In Florida, a supervisor was fired after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-fema-official-ordered-relief-workers-to-skip-houses-with-trump-signs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire revealed</a> that she ordered workers to &#8220;avoid homes advertising Trump.&#8221;

Dozens Of North Carolina Hurricane Victims Lose FEMA-Sponsored Housing, Senators Say

Thom Tillis

Homeland Security Inspector General Joseph Cuffari confirmed Monday that his office was investigating FEMA over concerns that disaster relief was withheld from Trump supporters, according to a letter shared with The Daily Wire. 
Cuffari confirmed the investigation in a <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/2025-01-06-FEMA-TRUMP_Signs_OIG_Response.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Sam Graves (R-MO) and Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republicans-ask-for-probe-into-allegations-fema-skipped-entire-neighborhoods-with-trump-signs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requested</a> on December 3 a probe into whether FEMA supervisor Marn’i Washington’s instructions to “avoid homes advertising Trump” in Lake Placid, Florida, may have been part of a broader agency policy. Washington was fired after The Daily Wire first reported that at least 20 homes were skipped to her directive. 
“I share your sentiments that any disaster funding provided by Congress must be made available to all affected and that it cannot be conditioned or delayed based on political views,” Cuffari wrote on Monday. 
“On December 17, 2024, my office initiated an audit of FEMA’s Assessment of Community Trends,” he added. “The objective is to determine how well FEMA followed its policies and procedures when addressing safety concerns and determining community trends that impact disaster survivor assistance in response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton.”
Washington claimed that her directive to skip Trump homes was based on FEMA&#8217;s &#8220;community trends&#8221; policies.
In their December 3 letter, Graves and Perry wrote that they were aware of reports out of North Carolina “of FEMA employees skipping any home that displayed a ‘Make America Great Again,’ ‘Drain the Swamp,’ ‘Don’t Tread on Me’ or Trump campaign sign. If the FEMA field team encountered three or more of these signs, the field team could abandon the entire neighborhood without notifying hurricane victims of assistance available to them.”
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Cuffari said that he was thankful for the information provided by the Republican lawmakers and that he would be happy to schedule a briefing with them on the findings. 
“We greatly appreciate the information you provided, as it aided our decision-making process. I will be glad to share the results of this audit, future reports on this topic, or any of our numerous projects, with you if you would like to schedule a briefing with me,” he wrote. 
FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell said that the incident in Lake Placid was “isolated,” and confirmed last month that there are multiple ongoing federal investigations into potential discrimination by the agency.

Michigan Holds Its Primary Election

DHS Inspector General Confirms FEMA Probe, Says Aid Should Not Be Politically Based

Department of Homeland Security

The House Oversight Committee on Monday highlighted whistleblower complaints that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fema" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FEMA</a> discriminated against Trump supporters when responding to devastating hurricanes earlier this year. 
As the 118th Congress comes to a close, the Oversight Committee listed its “TOP OVERSIGHT HEARING MOMENTS” of the last two years on X, pointing to a story <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-fema-official-ordered-relief-workers-to-skip-houses-with-trump-signs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first broken</a> by The Daily Wire in November that detailed that a FEMA supervisor in Florida had ordered relief workers to skip homes that showed support for Trump. The Oversight Committee noted that a whistleblower told Oversight Chair James Comer (R-KY) that similar misconduct had occurred in Georgia. 
“In October 2024, [The Daily Wire] exposed that a FEMA employee directed workers to bypass pro-Trump homes. During a hearing on that topic, Chairman James Comer (<a href="https://x.com/RepJamesComer">@RepJamesComer</a>) revealed a brand-new whistleblower in a different state, which blew apart the FEMA Administrator’s claim that it was an isolated incident,” the committee posted on X.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In October 2024, <a href="https://twitter.com/dailywire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DailyWire</a> exposed that a FEMA employee directed workers to bypass pro-Trump homes. During a hearing on that topic, Chairman James Comer (<a href="https://twitter.com/RepJamesComer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepJamesComer</a>) revealed a brand-new whistleblower in a different state, which blew apart the FEMA Administrator’s claim that…
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPoversight/status/1873773803248959620?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The committee was referring to an exclusive report published by The Daily Wire on November 8 that FEMA supervisor Marn&#8217;i Washington ordered relief workers in Lake Placid to “avoid homes advertising Trump.” 
The guidance led to FEMA workers skipping some 20 homes impacted by Hurricane Milton. FEMA responded by firing Washington and sending workers back to the area to ensure that Lake Placid residents were given an opportunity to qualify for hurricane aid. 
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-fema-chief-confirms-multiple-ongoing-federal-investigations-into-trump-instructions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> earlier this month that there were multiple federal investigations ongoing into potential political discrimination. The investigations were being conducted by FEMA’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, and the Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General. 
Last month, as Criswell was questioned about the guidance from Washington, Comer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whistleblower-alleges-fema-advised-georgia-hurricane-victims-to-remove-trump-signs-comer-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> that a whistleblower told his office that a FEMA supervisor told a family in Georgia to remove their Trump signs from their yards because it was not “looked kindly” on by the agency. 
“My staff made contact with a new whistleblower who provided a credible account that a FEMA contractor visited the home of an elderly disabled veteran’s family around October 10 following Hurricane Helene,” Comer said. “While there he recommended that they remove Trump campaign materials and signs from both their house and yard. He warned the family that his FEMA supervisor does not take kindly to Trump supporters and that they are seen as domestic terrorists.” 
Criswell responded to Comer’s remarks by saying that she had not heard the allegations before and asked the committee to provide her with more information on the matter. 
Whistleblowers <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republicans-ask-for-probe-into-allegations-fema-skipped-entire-neighborhoods-with-trump-signs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">later told</a> the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure that “entire” neighborhoods were skipped in North Carolina if workers found “Make America Great Again,” “Drain the Swamp,’ or “Don’t Tread on Me” signs in the yards of hurricane victims.

Oversight Committee Highlights FEMA’s Avoidance Of Trump Supporters As Investigations Continue

Discrimination

House Oversight Committee

James Comer

As we prepare to enter the new year, we&#8217;re taking you back to some of The Daily Wire&#8217;s best reporting from 2024. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-a-small-tennessee-town-survived-helene-after-the-emergency-response-floundered" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on October 14. 
ROAN MOUNTAIN, Tenn. — Kathy Vorce huddled in a U-Haul truck with her 24-year-old son, 21-year-old daughter, and five cats as Hurricane Helene passed overhead. The heavy rains turned the Doe River that wove through the town of Roan Mountain into a torrent. The Vorces’ rental home on Main Street flooded along with most of the surrounding area.
Vorce and her family escaped the rising waters thanks to that U-Haul truck, which they had used to retrieve belongings from storage the day before. With her home given up for lost and her husband traveling for work, she had nowhere to go. With spotty service, Vorce scoured for updates on her phone when she read that the First Baptist Church of Roan Mountain was accepting refugees from the storm.
“And I went, oh, my goodness, I know where that is. I had come to a service here one time,” Vorce told The Daily Wire in the church library. “I said, okay, guys, we’re gonna go there and we’re gonna tell daddy that’s where we are and, you know, at least they’ll have toilets there, they’ll have people there, and it should be good.”
<div id="attachment_812419" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-812419" class="wp-image-812419 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Kathy-Vorce-1024x576.png" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Kathy-Vorce-1024x576.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Kathy-Vorce-300x169.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Kathy-Vorce-768x432.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Kathy-Vorce-1536x864.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Kathy-Vorce.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Tim Pearce/The Daily Wire</div>
Helene made landfall in Florida as a category four hurricane. By the time it reached Tennessee on September 27 it had downgraded to a tropical storm. But the rain compounded on heavy rains in preceding days and caused massive flooding across east Tennessee beyond anything seen there in nearly 30 years.
Locals compared Helene’s flooding to the flood of 1998, which <a href="https://www.johnsoncitypress.com/helene/church-destroyed-in-1998-flood-is-giving-back-to-community-after-2024-flood/article_7979243c-8103-11ef-8797-affd7e0a68c0.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">caused</a> widespread damage across the community, destroying the First Baptist Church building. After the flood, the church was rebuilt on the hill where it sits today, safe from flooding and at the center of the community’s aid efforts.
<div id="attachment_812185" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-812185" class="wp-image-812185 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/First-Baptist-Church-%E2%80%94-front-1024x576.png" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/First-Baptist-Church-%E2%80%94-front-1024x576.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/First-Baptist-Church-%E2%80%94-front-300x169.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/First-Baptist-Church-%E2%80%94-front-768x432.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/First-Baptist-Church-%E2%80%94-front-1536x864.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/First-Baptist-Church-%E2%80%94-front.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Tim Pearce/The Daily Wire</div>
Pastor Geren Street has managed those efforts for about two weeks. The church has been a home for about half a dozen families who lost their homes to flooding, and became the nexus for area recovery efforts after the Red Cross station set up at the local high school lost power.
On the morning of the flood, Pastor Street noticed that the Doe River, which ran behind his house, had started to swell. Within hours, it was in his backyard. He loaded his dogs into his truck and drove to the church.
The church began to feed people almost immediately, using food purchased for a homecoming celebration that was supposed to take place that weekend.
“We had already bought the hams and meats and stuff that we were going to cook, so we said we’ll just go ahead and use them tonight. Cook a hot meal for people that need it,” Street told The Daily Wire.
“About Saturday at lunch time, we had been asked if we could start being a place to gather supplies and start getting it out to people that needed it, which, of course, the whole reason we started was to love our neighbor,” Street said. “It just began to pick up more and more momentum from there.”
<div id="attachment_812421" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-812421" class="wp-image-812421 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Geren-Street-2-1024x576.png" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Geren-Street-2-1024x576.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Geren-Street-2-300x169.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Geren-Street-2-768x432.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Geren-Street-2-1536x864.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Geren-Street-2.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Geren Street (Tim Pearce/The Daily Wire)</div>
Street’s congregation on Sundays numbers about 100 people. Since Helene, the church has been feeding several times that number on a daily basis — Street estimates that in the course of three days, roughly 1,200 families had grabbed a hot meal at the church.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been absent from Roan Mountain. Nearly two weeks passed before a FEMA worker arrived at the church to deliver forms impacted residents can use to apply for assistance. It was the first and only interaction the First Baptist Church had with FEMA.
The residents of Roan Mountain were left largely to fend for themselves in the first few days after the storm, though they were helped by the officers of the Carter County Sheriff Department and crews from the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
After the storm passed and the floodwaters receded, the extent of the damage across Roan Mountain was still being assessed. The flood damaged scores of homes, gashed roads, demolished bridges, toppled power lines, and left residents of Roan Mountain shocked and desperate.
In the immediate aftermath, the residents of Roan Mountain looked after themselves. Anyone with heavy equipment worked to clear roads, rebuild bridges, and rescue those trapped by flood. Orange cones and caution tape now mark spots where the flood took chunks out of the town’s streets. In some patches, the road has disappeared altogether, only to be replaced by dirt and rocks by locals with the equipment to manage the rushed repairs.
<div id="attachment_812189" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-812189" class="wp-image-812189 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/First-Baptist-Church-%E2%80%94-back-1024x576.png" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/First-Baptist-Church-%E2%80%94-back-1024x576.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/First-Baptist-Church-%E2%80%94-back-300x169.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/First-Baptist-Church-%E2%80%94-back-768x432.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/First-Baptist-Church-%E2%80%94-back-1536x864.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/First-Baptist-Church-%E2%80%94-back.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Tim Pearce/The Daily Wire</div>
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The church is now a well-stocked aid center with supplies crammed into every spare room and hallway, and more stored in the gymnasium of Cloudland Elementary School located nearby. The supplies are almost entirely donations from private groups, individuals, and churches. Aid has come in from as far away as Texas and Oklahoma. The church is accepting donations through its <a href="https://fbcroanmountain.com/home/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=943060981195831&amp;id=100064758126221&amp;_rdr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Venmo</a>.
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Aid and recovery has been largely a volunteer operation. With schools in the area shut down, educators and administrators have made up a heavy percentage of volunteers. Erica Preswood, a principal for Carter County Schools, has organized school staff volunteering at First Baptist.
<div id="attachment_812205" style="width: 778px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-812205" class="wp-image-812205 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Ruined-bridge-768x576.jpg" alt="" width="768" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Ruined-bridge-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Ruined-bridge-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Ruined-bridge-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Ruined-bridge-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" />Tim Pearce/The Daily Wire</div>
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“The organization was the easy part once we got going because we all just take our own leadership skills and do what we need to do. You know, I’m the queen of gab, so I’m out here on the corner, directing traffic,” Preswood told The Daily Wire.
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Preswood lives in Roan Mountain and, while her home is located high enough to have avoided serious flood damage, she still has no power nearly two weeks after the storm.
“We have no power or water. Cell phone signal is very limited. The Internet is nonexistent. But, you know, we count ourselves fortunate. It’s just an adventure at this point,” Preswood said.
<div id="attachment_812425" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-812425" class="wp-image-812425 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Erica-Preswood-1024x576.png" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Erica-Preswood-1024x576.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Erica-Preswood-300x169.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Erica-Preswood-768x432.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Erica-Preswood-1536x864.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Erica-Preswood.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Erica Preswood (Tim Pearce/The Daily Wire)</div>
Street and Preswood are both concerned about the future of Roan Mountain, and worried about how recovery and rebuilding will play out the months and years to come. While aid is plentiful now, both worry that donations will not continue at the current levels much longer while the need in the area remains great.
Housing may be the most daunting long-term issue. It was already a concern among locals who have seen the price of property skyrocket as people have moved into Roan Mountain in recent years. Street said the price of a house he and his wife had looked at purchasing in 2019 had doubled in five years – and that was before the storm rendered dozens of homes unlivable.
With so many houses lost to the flood, and few people with insurance to help rebuild, the situation is dire, especially with winter approaching. Street is concerned that people may be forced back into homes not suitable to live in.
<div id="attachment_812203" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-812203" class="wp-image-812203 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/House-damaged-by-flooding-1024x576.png" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/House-damaged-by-flooding-1024x576.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/House-damaged-by-flooding-300x169.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/House-damaged-by-flooding-768x432.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/House-damaged-by-flooding-1536x864.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/House-damaged-by-flooding.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Tim Pearce/The Daily Wire</div>
Some residents are moving out of town altogether. One man who lost his home to the flood and has lived at the church since plans to move to Florida with his sister. Vorce wants to move her family to Manassas, Virginia, where her other daughter lives.
“I would love to stay here, but our situation would likely not allow us to find a good rental. We have the cats, which can be an issue. And poor credit, which is another issue,” Vorce said.
Despite the grave situation the residents of Roan Mountain have found themselves in, the community has rallied around a mutual concern for each and an acute sense that, lacking the resources of wealthier and more urban areas, they must look after themselves.
“That’s one of the things about people who live in the Appalachia region, a lot of them have tractors and excavators and skid steers and chainsaws. And there are guys that just, when there’s a need, guys and gals go out there to work, to help,” Street said.
“This was always a close knit community,” Street said, “but it’s a much closer knit community since September 27. I mean, absolutely. And it was people in this community with the resources they had doing what they could do in order to meet people’s needs.”

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